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Freak  Trees 


of  THE 


State  of  New  York 


The  New  York  State 
College  of  Forestry 
Syracuse  University 

FRANKLIN  MOON 
Dean 


1926 


56 


Issued  by  the 
EXTENSION  DEPARTMENT 
New  York  State  College  of  Forestry 
Syracuse,  New  York 


Material  Prepared 

l»y 

Prof.  GURTH  WHIPPLE 


lEx  SItbrtH 

SEYMOUR  DURST 


UUHi>T 


FOREWORD 


ify^HERE  is  a  pleasure  in  the  pathless  woods,"  in  fact, 
A  everywhere  in  the  woods,  whether  pathed  or  path- 
less, is  the  dwelling  of  pleasure.  In  the  woods  abides 
romance,  mystery,  music,  laughter,  beauty,  inspiration,  awe, 
rapture.  None  can  escape  the  broadening  vision,  the  excite- 
ment of  the  imagination,  the  poetic  inspiration  imparted  by 
contact  with  the  teeming  harmony  of  woods  life.  Even  the 
occasional  discords  are  only  minor  notes  that  become  part 
of  one  universal  rythm. 

TREES  SURPASSINGLY  INTERESTING 

Added  to  their  pleasure-giving  there  are  their  health 
administrations.  None,  who  go  into  the  woods,  fail  to  feel 
the  forest-refreshment  to  body  and  mind.  Trees  have  many 
values  and  many  attractions.  They  present  such  a  wide 
diversity  that  they  may  be  said  to  surpass  in  interest  all 
other  products  of  the  soil.  Their  traditions,  their  ancient 
lineage,  their  physical  properties  are  thought-absorbing ;  their 
beneficence  and  human-like  habits  touch  a  responsive  chord 
in  man.  Much  about  them  is  as  deep  a  mystery  as  the 
farthermost  star. 

FREAK  TREES  ATTRACTIVE 

Tree  shapes  are  generally  beautiful  even  in  distortion. 
Freak  trees  attract  the  attention  of  all  travellers.  Probably 
they  cause  more  comment  and  speculation  than  almost  any 
other  phase  of  the  forest.  They  excite  wonder;  they  chal- 
lenge our  power  of  scrutiny  and  observation ;  they  cause 
the  beholder  to  stop,  to  examine  and  to  ponder.  They  are 
sometimes  inexplicable.  They  defy  natural  laws,  as  we 
know  them,  that  govern  tree  life,  in  a  way  that  baffles  our 
understanding. 

Freak  trees  often  save  the  camper,  the  hunter  and  the 
explorer  from  disaster.  Trees  that  do  not  look  like  the  vast 
majority  of  their  fellows  compel  attention  and  impress  the 
memory,  identifying  locations,  streams  and  trails,  and  thus 
often  lead  the  lost  like  a  guiding  hand  safely  from  the  wilder- 
ness. The  true  woodsman  consciously  and  unconsciously  is 
ever  looking  for  freak  trees  when  he  is  traveling  in  a  new 
country.  Freak  trees  are  landmarks,  good  guides,  good 
friends. 

NATURE  AND  ACCIDENT  CAUSE  FREAKS 

Why  do  trees  take  on  abnormal  shapes?  Is  it  something 
in  the  character  of  the  tree  or  is  it  due  to  accident?  The 
results  of  this  contest  indicate  that  tree-freaks  are  due  to 


both  causes  the  same  as  in  the  animal  kingdom.  It  would 
seem  that  a  close  parallel  to  the  fortunes  and  misfortunes 
of  humanity  may  be  traced  in  trees,  which  of  things 
inanimate  are  the  constant  and  most  useful  companions  of 
men.  Trees,  like  ourselves  are  products  of  their  surround- 
ings. They  are  favored  or  injured  in  their  development  by 
the  changes  that  time  brings  in  its  march  of  years. 

The  Freak  Tree  Contest  was  for  New  York  State  trees 
only.  The  contest  covered  the  period  of  spring,  summer  and 
fall  in  1925.  Many  lovers  of  the  woods  took  part  in  the 
contest  and  sent  photographs  far  too  numerous  to  publish 
in  one  leaflet.  We  have,  however,  reproduced  within  these 
pages  some  of  the  most  interesting  pictures.  The  contest 
was  intended  to  encourage  observation  of  the  forest,  to 
arouse  interest  in  trees  and  thereby  aid  in  creating  public 
concern  for  the  protection  and  increase  of  the  forest. 

MANY  SPECIES  REPRESENTED 

Hickory,  beech,  maple,  elm,  locust,  poplar,  birch,  ash, 
cucumber,  basswood,  hemlock,  pine,  cedar,  spruce,  sumach, 
and  apple  were  represented  in  the  contest.  While  practically 
all  of  our  common  forest  trees  evidently  take  on  unusual 
shapes  under  favorable  conditions  the  tree  apparently  most 
given  to  abnormal  growth  is  the  elm.  There  were  four  times 
as  many  photographs  of  freak  elm  trees  submitted  as  any 
other  species.  Maple  comes  next  with  beech  and  birch 
following  closely. 

No  section  of  the  State  seems  to  be  particularly  favored 
with  freak  trees.  It  would  appear  that  hardwoods  or  broad 
leaf  tree  families  take  on  malformations  and  curious  twists 
and  turns  more  generally  than  the  softwoods  or  conifers. 

SELECTING  WINNERS,  BIG  PROBLEM 

Choosing  the  winners  was  rather  a  difficult  problem. 
A  marked  divergence  of  opinion  developed  on  the  part  of 
the  seven  judges  who  made  the  selections.  The  committee 
was  composed  of  a  forest  botanist  and  pathologist,  a  wood 
technologist,  a  landscape  architect,  an  expert  in  woodcraft 
and  nature  study,  a  professional  forester,  a  collector  of 
photographs  of  freak  trees  and  a  newspaper  man. 

The  pictures  were  judged  from  the  viewpoint  of  their 
shape  and  form  that  seemed  to  be  contrary  to  the  nature  of 
the  species  the  freak  trees  represented. 

Prizes  were  awarded  as  follows :  $5.00  for  the  first  prize, 
$4.00  for  the  second,  $3.00  for  the  third,  $2.00  for  the 
Fourth,  and  four  prizes  of  $1.00  each. 


PRIZE  WINNERS 


PRIZE  WINNERS 


PRIZE  WINNERS 


Fifth  Prize. 
H.  L.  Tayntor,  McGraw,  N.  Y. 
Double  beech,  near  Homer,  N.  Y.     Graft  18  feet  in  length 
and  8  inches  in  diameter. 


PRIZE  WINNERS 


•J,        '  i ...  i 

Sixth  Prize. 
YV.  S.  Broad,  Morrisville,  N.  Y. 
Twin  beeches,  Morrisville  Swamp. 


Seventh  Prize. 
Zack  Carman,  Prattsville,  N.  V. 
Elm  lyre  tree,  near  Prattsville,  N.  Y. 


6 


PRIZE  WINNERS 


Eighth  Prize- 
Augustus  C.  Merle,  R.  F.  D.  2,  Attica,  N.  V. 
Elm  tree,  near  Attica. 


Louise  D.  Gaylord.  414  Cortland  Ave., 
Syracuse,  X.  Y. 
Elm  tree,   y2   mile  south  of  Wolcott,  X.  Y. 
Honorable  Mention. 


Mrs.  Chas.  L.  Williams,  166  Ridge  St., 
Glens  Falls,  N.  Y. 

Small  cedars  said  to  be  exactly  portrayed.  The 
illustration  is  from  a  photograph  of  a  painting  and  was 
therefore  not  eligible  for  a  nri^e. 

Location — At  the  foot  of  Buck  Mountain  on  east 
shore  of  Lake  George. 


7 


HONORABLE  MENTION 


Bert  L.  Chambers,  Copenhagen,  N.  Y. 

Beech  and   Maple   grown   together,  Harris- 
Imrg,   Lewis  Co.,   N.  Y. 


Mahlot)  Pomeroy,  70  Oxford  St., 
Rochester,  \.  Y. 

Soft  Maple  tree  near  ths  village  of  Frank- 
lin, X.  V. 


HONORABLE  MENTION 


Miss  Faustina  Dunn,  Oszvego  Normal  School, 
Oszvego,  N.  Y. 

Elm,  "The  Lyre  Tree." 


Eleanor  L.  Weise,  1346  Jefferson  St.,  N.  W. 

Washington,  D.  C. 
Lombardy  Poplars,  grown  over  and  enclosed 
an   old   board    fence.      Standing   along  the 
shore  of   Lake  Champlain  a  little  south  of 
Pittsburgh,  N.  Y. 


L.   A.   Lamouree,   R.   R.   No.   2,   Box  215, 
Saugerties,  N.  Y. 

Basswood  or  Linden  tree  with  young  tree 
growing  out  of  hollow  trunk  of  mother  tree. 
Blue  Mountain,   Saugerties,   N.  Y. 


Mrs.  W.  C.  Schlax,  57  Henry  Ave., 

Newburgh,  N.  Y. 

Pine  tree,  Centril  Valley,  N.  Y. 


HONORABLE  MENTION 


Ira  Gray,  R.  F.  D.  No.  2,  Corinth,  N.  Y.  Arthur  Bur  dick,  Glen  fie  Id,  N.  Y. 

Beech  tree,  Sacandaga  river,  town  of  Day,  Rej  Birch  tree,  Greig,  Lewis  Co.,  N.  Y. 

Saratoga  Co. 


10 


HONORABLE  MENTION 


Syracuse,  N.  Y. 
Sugar  Maple,  near  Constantia,  N.  Y. 


II 


HONORABLE  MENTION 


Hemlock  in  crevice  of  a  high  cliff  of  trap- 
rock,  near  Tuxedo,   N.   Y.  Miss  Dorothy  D.    Van   Gaasbeek,  Hill  St., 

Saugerties,  N.  Y. 


Arthur  Hill,  Adams  Basin,  N.  Y. 

2    Beech    trees    connected  with 
branch     farm     woodlot    west  of 
Kochester,  N.  Y. 


12 


HONORABLE  MENTION 


H.  L.  Tayntor,  McGraw,  N.  Y.  H.   T.   Pecor,   124  Ferry  St.,   Troy,  N.  Y. 

Beech,  Brown's  Gorge,  near  McGraw.  Cedar   eight  trees  growing  from  one  stump, 

15  to  20  feet  high,  Putnam,  N.  Y. 


N.  W.  Van  Nostrand,  Jr.,  802  Carroll  St., 
Brooklyn,  N.  Y. 

Elm,  between  Berlin  and   Petersburg,   N.  Y. 

13 


HONORABLE  MENTION 


TREES  NOT  ELIGIBLE 


George  P.  Van  Buskirk,  27  West  129th 

English  Spruce  tree  grafted  upside  down 
in  England  about  20  years  ago,  shipped 
to  Smith  Nursery  at  Amarack,  N.  Y., 
purchased  2  years  later  by  Wm.  R. 
Searles  Mt.  Kisco,  N.  Y. 


Newton  C.   Brainard,  Hartford,  Conn. 
Hornbeam  trees  naturally  grafted. 


The  Lonesome  Pine,  Cranberry  Lake. 

Finds  sustenance  in  a  small  tuft  of  moss 
and  huckleberry  bushes  on  top  of  a  boulder. 


Fred  Kenlive,  Alden.  N.  Y. 
Beech  trees  near  Alden. 


16 

J.   B.   Lyon    Co.,    Printers.    Albany,  N. 


Our  Heritage 

Now  let  us  heal  and  restore  where  we  trample  and  plunder, 
Cleansing  and  saving  our  shallowing  rivers  and  rills, 

Lending  new  life  to  the  field  we  have  ravaged  and  beggared, 
Calling  new  forest  to  gladden  the  desolate  hills. 

Then  though  we  pass  from  the  land  that  our  fathers  be- 
queathed us, 

Mountain  and  river  and  wood  shall  our  message  renew ; 
"This  is  the  land  that  we  loved ;  oh,  be  faithful,  our  children ! 
Fair  was  it  left  to  us ;  fairer  we  leave  it  to  you !  " 

Arthur  Guiterman 


The  New  York  State  College  of  Forestry 


at 


Syracuse  University 


